CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1Â Â Â BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Secondary education is the foundation of the whole educational system. The enormous contribution it contributes to the country’s overall growth is shown by research studies conducted in both developed and developing nations, including Nigeria, in order to attain secondary education universalization. Education has become a modern religion and the surest path to self-sufficiency, economic progress, and development (Obadina 1989). This is why, according to the Nigerian Federal Government (2004), Nigeria’s federal government launched the universal basic education (UBE) program for elementary school students to ensure that every Nigerian kid of school age receives a free and universal basic education, ensure the acquisition of the appropriate level of literacy, communicative and life skills, as well as the ethical, moral, and cruel values needed for laying a solid foundation for lifelong learning, etc. Reduce drastically the incidence of dropout from formal school system through improved relevance, quality, and efficiency  (Obadina, 1989).
However, dropout rates among secondary school pupils have been reported. Money is prized in society, and rich men are honored, and this wealth tempts young boys and girls to seek wealth rather than education, which has a permanent worth and legacy. Another observation stems from the school system’s failure to function as a consequence of periodic strike actions and frequent changes in government, resulting in inconsistencies in educational policy such as changes in school curriculum, calendar, textbooks, and school administration rules (Obadina, 1989).
Prerequisite skills and training must be acquired via schools for young men and women. They must be mainstreamed educationally as future leaders in order for them to be valuable to themselves, occupy leadership roles, and engage in capacity building for sustainable, functional growth and change (Aja-Okorie, 2017). This can only be accomplished by enrolling in and finishing educational programs. Individuals may obtain appropriate skills for long-term growth if they complete their education in a continuous manner. However, in most developing nations, particularly Nigeria, most secondary school students’ education is suddenly terminated owing to a variety of causes that cause them to drop out of school. According to Oyinloye (2015), the number of students dropping out of school has increased in recent years. Many people have dropped out of school for various reasons, leaving them without the fundamental education required for effective life in society. This explained why the Federal Government of Nigeria prioritized education at the primary and secondary levels, as reflected in the launch of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Scheme in May 2000, with the main goal of providing education to all Nigerians by the year 2015, in recognition of the need to educate and develop its citizens and the Nigerian nation (FRN, 2004). Also included in the Nigerian education sector’s plan, which was launched in 2009, are access and equality, as well as standards and quality assurance (Obanya, 2010).
According to UNESCO in 2015 who reported that millions of school-aged children in Nigeria are out of school today, despite all of the goals and provisions indicated in the education policy. Nigeria is placed high among countries with a big population of children out of the classroom. To this end, this study seeks to examine the drop out level among secondary schools students in Lagos state.
1.2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The phrase “school dropout” is not new in the Nigerian educational system; it has been a source of contention for successive governments at all levels since independence. Dropout is one of the most serious problems that have plagued Nigeria’s educational system since independence in 1960, beginning with the colonial administration, as noted by Fafunwa (1983), and as noted by Ajaja (2012), the problem of dropout had already established its grip on the educational system even before independence.
The most important part of educational waste is the number of students who drop out, which has produced issues in the lives of students, their parents, the government, and society as a whole. Regular industrial action and changes in government policy contribute to the educational system’s instability. In addition, the curriculum’s breadth is insufficient to match its theoretical character. Due to sporadic wage payments, instructors are not as devoted to their profession as they should be. Hence the need to study drop out level among secondary schools students in Lagos state
1.3Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â ÂOBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The general objective of the study is drop out level among secondary schools students in Lagos state. Specifically the objective of the study is as follows:
1.       To examine the causes of drop out among secondary school student in Lagos.
2.       To find out the level at which secondary school students drop out.
3.       To find out the consequence of students dropping out of school.
4.       To suggest ways of reducing the drop out level among secondary school student.
